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Topic: New boy to collecting Murano (Read 2071 times)

I had the opportunity of visiting the island of Murano back in 1971, this is where I feel in love with this beautiful glass................ I have been collecting it for about a year now and wondered who the "in artists/designers/companies" were and which one's to stay away from. Any suggestions on what books would help as well please.Cheers,Alan

Alan to answer your question in part, there really is no wrong or right answer as to what company in Murano is in. It all depends on your specific taste in glass. Everyone is different. I know my tastes are different. I tend to like more of the modern companies of Murano. I do have many mid century pieces but my favorites are more modern so in other words there is no in company in Murano glass in my opinion. I think it depends on your personal style.

tam bam

P.S. - But if you are looking for a piece that is really sought after though I would look for a Seguso piece but buyer beware I would do my homework before buying one. There are a lot of fakes out there especially on Ebay.

Watch the glass market place on this Forum i feel thats a safe bet with all the knowledgeable eyes watching someone will tip you off if its a wrong un as we say . Good luck and happy collecting . jp I.D stgeorgio.2007 :thup:

Your question about a book is a good one. A good Murano primer for the type of Murano that is sold in the USA is Leslie Pina's Italian Glass Century 20. It shows a few pieces, mostly mid-20th Century, of the more popular Murano companies. It is an excellent book for the beginning collector.

Anita's book suggestion is the best one if you're looking to risk buying on eBay, flea markets, or car boots, for less than a $100 a piece and occasionally up to $500.00, and double that if you're going to buy from a store, on line or real. I'm not sure I would stand by those precise figures. Probably what I mean to say is that if you are wanting to spend less rather than more.

It then depends on what your interests are and how much you are willing to spend. To get a sense of what good 20th C. Murano can look like (in a book, anyhow) I'd start with Marino Barovier, 'Venetian Glass." It's small, but it's cheap, quite unusual for a book on glass. For information on Murano techniques, there's Marc Heiremanns, "Murano Glass: Themes and Variations,' on the history of the companies and the glass makers, there's Clark Gable, 'Murano Magic,' and, if you're going a little more upscale and focussing on a particular, but relatively less pricey company, there are Pina's books, 'Archimede Seguso,' and 'Fratelli Toso.' I've also got a few books because looking at the photographs of the glass is the closest I'll ever come to owning the glass. I don't think there are too many bad books on Murano glass, just some quite expensive ones where you wonder if you should have bought a piece of glass instead. I will say, however, the more books I've bought, the fewer mistakes I've made in my purchases.

I don't think that there are in and out companies. Murano glass encompasses a range of styles and prices, and, ultimately it boils down to what you like. For example, Anita and I both love Murano glass. But if we were each to pick our favourite 20 pieces, there would some overlap but some very different pieces. That's one of the reasons I like Murano.

Morning David,Thank you for taking time to give me an insight, individual taste is obviously what it boils down to...................... I have learn't a lot from this society already by slowly working my way through all the posts on here. Very much appreciated one and all..................Cheers,Alan